Mother Cat Who Lost All Her Kittens Saves A Tiny Orphan's Life

"The grieving mom immediately took to the tiny kitten, grooming him, cuddling him and letting him nurse."

When a very sick newborn kitten was found all alone, he was brought to the Atlanta Humane Society (AHS) — and no one was sure if he would survive. 

Orphaned kitten
AHS
Orphaned kitten
AHS

A foster parent for AHS rushed to the shelter to take the kitten in, but he seemed to need more than just human help. 

So the concerned staff had an idea.

Cat adopts orphaned kitten
AHS

They introduced the little kitten to Ember, a mother cat who had recently come in with a litter of kittens. But her kittens were so sick that one by one they passed away.

"She had lost all of her babies,” Christina Hill, director of marketing and communications for AHS, told The Dodo, ”but not her motherly instinct."

Grieving mother cat adopts orphaned kitten
AHS

When Ember met the tiny, sick kitten, there was no question that he was going to be loved. 

"The two had an immediate bond,” Hill said. "The grieving mom immediately took to the tiny kitten, grooming him, cuddling him and letting him nurse.”

Grieving mother cat adopts orphaned kitten
AHS
Grieving mother cat adopts orphaned kitten
AHS

The kitten was named Flame. And his adoptive mother, Ember, probably saved his life.

Grieving mother cat adopts orphaned kitten
AHS

The pair is now in foster care. And within a month they will be both up for adoption, together or apart.

Grieving mother cat adopts orphaned kitten
AHS
Grieving mother cat adopts orphaned kitten
AHS

"It'd be absolutely adorable if they could be adopted together,” Hill said. “They would love it! And two cats is always better than one."

Grieving mother cat adopts orphaned kitten
AHS
To adopt this little family, when they're ready, you can learn more about the adoption process here. To help the animals the AHS saves every day, you can make a donation.